Believe it or not: The best-paying city for software engineers is not San Francisco, nor is it Seattle.
Blind considered the annual base pay and the total compensation package to determine the best-paying cities for software engineers. A software engineer’s total compensation typically includes an annual salary and stock-based compensation, plus a cash bonus at some select companies.
Blind found that while many of the best-paying cities for software engineers are in the San Francisco Bay Area and its Silicon Valley, cities in Colorado and the East Coast of the United States are not too far behind. The compensation data suggests the tech industry is expanding beyond the top tech hubs.
Here are the top 50 best-paying cities for software engineers, programmers and developers in the United States, according to the more than 5 million verified professionals on the professional social network Blind:
1. Los Gatos, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $500,449
- Median total compensation: $475,000
- Average salary: $470,015
- Median base salary: $451,000
2. Menlo Park, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $328,423
- Median total compensation: $297,000
- Average salary: $167,004
- Median base salary: $165,000
3. Cupertino, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $279,391
- Median total compensation: $255,850
- Average salary: $165,753
- Median base salary: $165,000
4. San Bruno, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $278,368
- Median total compensation: $225,90
- Average salary: $161,269
- Median base salary: $149,500
5. Mountain View, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $275,181
- Median total compensation: $242,000
- Average salary: $160,790
- Median base salary: $156,000
6. Kirkland, Wash.
- Average total compensation: $267,167
- Median total compensation: $241,222
- Average salary: $151,495
- Median base salary: $145,000
7. Oakland, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $266,869
- Median total compensation: $197,750
- Average salary: $192,240
- Median base salary: $168,750
8. San Francisco
- Average total compensation: $265,050
- Median total compensation: $225,000
- Average salary: $165,042
- Median base salary: $160,200
9. Sunnyvale, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $260,048
- Median total compensation: $238,000
- Average salary: $160,499
- Median base salary: $160,000
10. Santa Monica, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $245,331
- Median total compensation: $196,750
- Average salary: $147,735
- Median base salary: $145,000
11. Seattle
- Average total compensation: $242,501
- Median total compensation: $206,900
- Average salary: $148,636
- Median base salary: $145,000
12. Palo Alto, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $234,739
- Median total compensation: $200,000
- Average salary: $157,488
- Median base salary: $154,000
13. San Mateo, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $234,066
- Median total compensation: $187,875
- Average salary: $158,629
- Median base salary: $155,500
14. Pleasanton, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $225,058
- Median total compensation: $202,000
- Average salary: $150,887
- Median base salary: $150,000
15. New York
- Average total compensation: $223,715
- Median total compensation: $194,050
- Average salary: $156,656
- Median base salary: $155,000
16. Foster City, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $220,293
- Median total compensation: $190,000
- Average salary: $158,319
- Median base salary: $148,500
17. Fremont, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $218,913
- Median total compensation: $180,000
- Average salary: $144,638
- Median base salary: $142,500
18. Bellevue, Wash.
- Average total compensation: $214,670
- Median total compensation: $186,000
- Average salary: $145,219
- Median base salary: $137,000
19. Santa Clara, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $214,168
- Median total compensation: $197,000
- Average salary: $153,885
- Median base salary: $150,000
20. Boulder, Colo.
- Average total compensation: $213,656
- Median total compensation: $179,500
- Average salary: $138,864
- Median base salary: $135,000
21. San Jose, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $210,801
- Median total compensation: $183,000
- Average salary: $153,390
- Median base salary: $145,000
22. Cambridge, Mass.
- Average total compensation: $208,279
- Median total compensation: $185,000
- Average salary: $134,114
- Median base salary: $130,000
23. Redwood City, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $207,955
- Median total compensation: $190,000
- Average salary: $156,248
- Median base salary: $151,000
24. Los Angeles
- Average total compensation: $204,251
- Median total compensation: $167,588
- Average salary: $147,994
- Median base salary: $140,000
25. Redmond, Wash.
- Average total compensation: $201,645
- Median total compensation: $190,000
- Average salary: $138,442
- Median base salary: $137,000
26. Pittsburgh
- Average total compensation: $199,480
- Median total compensation: $164,000
- Average salary: $134,519
- Median base salary: $135,000
27. Princeton, N.J.
- Average total compensation: $194,653
- Median total compensation: $200,000
- Average salary: $167,312
- Median base salary: $162,500
28. Tempe, Ariz.
- Average total compensation: $190,575
- Median total compensation: $158,400
- Average salary: $132,223
- Median base salary: $132,000
29. Milpitas, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $188,146
- Median total compensation: $165,750
- Average salary: $154,073
- Median base salary: $138,000
30. Portland, Ore.
- Average total compensation: $182,152
- Median total compensation: $150,500
- Average salary: $143,567
- Median base salary: $132,250
31. Herndon, Va.
- Average total compensation: $177,288
- Median total compensation: $157,000
- Average salary: $132,818
- Median base salary: $137,000
32. Irvine, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $175,532
- Median total compensation: $160,000
- Average salary: $134,278
- Median base salary: $133,600
33. Chicago
- Average total compensation: $173,991
- Median total compensation: $136,400
- Average salary: $128,811
- Median base salary: $121,000
34. Boston
- Average total compensation: $173,659
- Median total compensation: $155,000
- Average salary: $133,189
- Median base salary: $130,000
35. Austin, Texas
- Average total compensation: $171,981
- Median total compensation: $151,843
- Average salary: $128,524
- Median base salary: $127,000
36. Washington, D.C.
- Average total compensation: $168,767
- Median total compensation: $150,082
- Average salary: $133,192
- Median base salary: $130,000
37. Denver
- Average total compensation: $168,395
- Median total compensation: $141,000
- Average salary: $127,281
- Median base salary: $125,500
38. San Diego
- Average total compensation: $166,069
- Median total compensation: $151,750
- Average salary: $128,341
- Median base salary: $121,372
39. Milwaukee
- Average total compensation: $164,019
- Median total compensation: $112,500
- Average salary: $156,396
- Median base salary: $104,000
40. Nashville, Tenn.
- Average total compensation: $158,024
- Median total compensation: $140,000
- Average salary: $124,996
- Median base salary: $118,500
41. Miami
- Average total compensation: $157,855
- Median total compensation: $133,325
- Average salary: $126,879
- Median base salary: $124,500
42. Salt Lake City
- Average total compensation: $157,607
- Median total compensation: $127,000
- Average salary: $115,642
- Median base salary: $115,000
43. Arlington, Va.
- Average total compensation: $156,087
- Median total compensation: $141,000
- Average salary: $126,994
- Median base salary: $125,500
44. Indianapolis
- Average total compensation: $154,989
- Median total compensation: $112,750
- Average salary: $114,071
- Median base salary: $100,000
45. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- Average total compensation: $153,308
- Median total compensation: $135,208
- Average salary: $118,037
- Median base salary: $113,500
46. Atlanta
- Average total compensation: $152,875
- Median total compensation: $138,250
- Average salary: $119,843
- Median base salary: $120,000
47. Waltham, Mass.
- Average total compensation: $152,859
- Median total compensation: $146,500
- Average salary: $133,354
- Median base salary: $133,000
48. Richmond, Va.
- Average total compensation: $150,660
- Median total compensation: $123,000
- Average salary: $130,416
- Median base salary: $110,000
49. Charlotte, N.C.
- Average total compensation: $150,540
- Median total compensation: $133,825
- Average salary: $123,945
- Median base salary: $121,500
50. Newark, N.J.
- Average total compensation: $148,786
- Median total compensation: $138,000
- Average salary: $121,288
- Median base salary: $125,000
Methodology
Blind analyzed the base salaries and total compensation of software engineers in the United States on its platform. Cities were ranked by the average total compensation, including annual base salary and, if applicable, stock-based compensation and cash bonuses. All data is self-reported by verified professionals on the professional social network Blind.
Also published on Teamblind's blog.